November 2010

11/10/2010

The lives of photojournalists revolve around covering stories. Most of the stories however tend to be quick hits. Typically we will shoot 3 assignments a day for the paper. We get a kernal of a story, figure out how to visually tell that story and then move on to the next. Occasionally we will work on a long feature but mostly it is a quick hit.

One quick hit story for me was the G20 summit-you probably remember it from last June, it was in all the news.

On the first big day of protest, I shot a photo that became a bit of a representative picture of the whole police reaction as well as the problem of the police removing their nametags. It was a picture of the police wading into some sit-down protesters kicking a couple of them in the head. Immediately after I took the picture I was whacked a couple of times with a night-stick and was knocked over so I wasn't able to get the names or updates of those who were kicked.

Fast forward to this past weekend. Finally the man in the image being kicked contacted the Star as we kept running the image. I was able to meet up with him and his partner and swap stories for a while. For such a big event it was a great bit of closure.

I couldn't help but feel a kindred spirit and editorialized a bit as I shot some sympathetic looking portraits of the two of them. It was good to know they had no ill effects from the event.

Nickos Kapetaneas and his partner, Caitlin Morgan are seen with a copy of the Star with their picture

11/06/2010

Just when you think you have covered every sport out there, a new one drops in.

I've covered Road racing, sprint and pursuit cycling and mountain biking. Today I got to cover the hybrid, Cyclo-Cross. Cyclo-Cross also adds elements that force the cyclists off their bikes. Little hurdles, some steep sections and some tricky corners make riders dismount and run on foot.

Cyclists zig-zag their way through Cedarvale Park at the Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships in Toronto. The cyclo-cross, which mixes road racing with mountain biking, championships were held at Cedarvale Park near Vaughn and Oakwood Roads.

Cyclo-cross, which mixes road racing with mountain biking also adds a little running for those that have to get off the bike on a steep hill. Amanda Sin stays on the bike for the big hill while Melissa Bunn runs up.

If you are tall enough, like Junior Male rider Daniel Hope, you don't have to dismount to use your feet.

Spectators are surrounded by riders through a zig-zag technical section.

Wendy Simms leads Katy Curtis up a hill, Simms would hold off Curtis to win at the Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships in Toronto. The cyclists race over a three kilometre course for about 40 minutes for elite women and 60 minutes for elite men.

Cow bells in hand, Kaitlyn, Melissa and Ella cheer on a Junior rider Bretton Matthews at the Canadian Cycle Cross Championships.

Gruelling, racers are relunctant to take their hands off the handle bars no matter what annoys them at the Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships.

Wendy Simms who rides for Ridley - FSA, right, is congratulated by a fellow rider and a coach after winning.

Wendy Simms holds some of the rewards of winning the Women's National title, Champagne and flowers!

Riders jump over the second of two small steeples that force them to get off their bicycles at the Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships.

Derrick St. John of Ontario would finish fourth at the Canadian Cycle Cross Championships in Toronto.

A spectator watches as a flight of Elite men ride by at the Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships.

Mike Garrigan of Ontario and Chris Sheppard of British Columbia power up a steep hill, Sheppard would win at the Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships.

Chris Sheppard of British Columbia wins the Men's title at the Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships.

One More,

Sometimes mistakes are fun, well, today a rider's mistake cost him the race, my mistake rewarded me with a fun an pretty picture.

11/04/2010

It is quite a priviledge being a photojournalist. We are invited into the homes of strangers on a regular basis and welcomed with open arms into their private moments.

Last week I was invited into the home of new Parents, Noor Javed and hubby Sami Ahmed who shaved the head of their 28 day old baby, Maryam in a ceremony called Aqiqah. Family gathered to watch the event at their home.

For Muslim parents, parenting begins within moments of the baby’s birth. The first task is the call to prayer in the baby’s ear – to introduce them to the faith and follow the example of the prophet. After that, it’s circumcision, shaving the baby’s hair, and a naming ritual that involves naming the child on the first or seventh day.

It was a wonderful experience being a part of this intimate moment.

Dad, Sami shaves Maryam's head in the arms of mom, Noor as the family watches

Dad, Sami shaves a sleeping Maryam

Members of the family watch the procedings

Maryam is almost finished as the relatives pause to debate the hairline

Maryam's grandmother collects the hair. The hair is weighed and the same weight in gold is donated to charity.

Noor (right top) and her mom, Fauzia bathe the baby's head to remove the hair trimmings